KARACHI, 14 December 2005 — Pakistan yesterday included all-rounder Shahid Afridi in their 15-man one-day squad for the last three limited internationals against England, chief selector Wasim Bari said.
Afridi, who holds the record of fastest one-day hundred off 37 balls he made against Sri Lanka in 1997, was banned for one Test and two One-Day Internationals for damaging the pitch during the second Test against England last month.
“The team is playing well so there was no need to have more changes. We have just recalled Afridi for he has been an important part of Pakistan’s one-day team,” Bari told AFP. Pakistan leveled the five-match series with a comfortable seven-wicket win over England in Lahore on Monday. England won Saturday’s first match in Lahore by 42 runs.
The remaining three matches are scheduled for Karachi (Thursday) and the last two at Rawalpindi on Saturday and Monday.
Squad: Inzamam ul-Haq (capt), Salman Butt, Shoaib Malik, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Sami, Danish Kaneria, Arshad Khan, Shoaib Akhtar, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Asif.
Injured Pietersen to Return Home
England batsman Kevin Pietersen is returning home after failing to recover from a rib injury.
“Scans taken after the first one-day match showed no fracture but demonstrated a stress lesion and despite passing a fitness test ahead of the second one-day match Kevin suffered intolerable pain throughout,” England doctor Peter Gregory said in a statement.
Gregory said an injury such as Pietersen’s normally required four to six weeks rest.
“It is expected that Kevin will make a full recovery in time for the tour to India in March next year,” he said.
